Agenda item

A Member of the OSB Task and Finish Group, established to consider Community Cohesion, presented the group’s Final Report and sought OSB’s input to its recommendations.

The Member stated the intention of the group was not to review the issue of Community Cohesion through a single event understand service provision relating to Community Cohesion and if there were any gaps in that provision.

As part of its work the group compared a previous review into Community Cohesion, carried out in 2021. To understand what progress had been made, the group had spoken to relevant internal and external stakeholders as detailed in the report.

The issue of community cohesion was broad and complex, and the Task and Finish approach was carried out with a relatively narrow focus.

The group would also stress that the review may have been in response to the riots in 2024 but was still relevant.  

While the group was reassured the Council’s approach to Community Cohesion was more robust than in previous years, this this seemed to be in response the riots.

Using the recommendations of the 2021 report, the group was initially concerned that a Community Cohesion strategy was not in place at the time of the riots. However, it is reassured that work on developing such a strategy was now progressing well.

The group hoped that following additional funding from the Home Office in the form of the Community Recovery Fund, the Council’s current approach to Community Cohesion can help prevent a repeat of the unrest experienced in 2024.

The Member stated there was no real way to predict the riots of 2024, and the Council had put more robust procedures and processes in place following them.

As part of the Board’s discussion, clarification was provided around which groups had received funding from the Community Recovery Fund and how there was a need to communicate effectively to all community groups across the town.

Members also discussed the different factors that contributed to the riots in Middlesbrough in 2024 and agreed that a more strategic approach toward Community Cohesion was required.

Members asked that the relevant service area be invited to a future meeting of OSB to receive an update on work to support Community Cohesion.

Following discussion about the report OSB proposed and agreed the following recommendations:

1.                  To ensure Scrutiny contributes to Community Cohesion agenda: - Develop a Community Strategy as quickly as possible with quarterly progress updates brought to scrutiny.

2.                  A draft of the Community Strategy should be brought to Scrutiny as the earliest opportunity before it is finalised.

3.                  To mitigate the risk of future unrest: - An early warning system, such as a Community Cohesion dashboard, should be developed to alert the Council and relevant partners of community tensions.

4.                  To ensure a robust Community Cohesion offer: - that the Council embeds initiatives created because of Home Office funding as part of its business-as-usual operations. An update should be brought back to Scrutiny on this during the 2027/2028 budget setting process.

5.                  As part of the Council’s approach to improved youth participation: - a specific plan be created that includes demonstrable, and quantifiable, actions to engage young people about the dangers of misinformation.

ORDERED 

1.      That the findings and recommendations of Task and Finish Group be noted and referred to the Executive.

2.      That the relevant service be invited to provide an update to scrutiny on Community Cohesion work.